Q&A: what if your competition is giving expensive gifts?

I had a question from a client who has big competitors who are giving flashy, expensive gifts (gift cards, trips to Disneyland, etc.) She’s a small business who can’t give big gifts without raising her prices.

Small businesses can have trouble competing with big-company gifts, especially when those big companies come with big budgets.

But small businesses have some major advantages: relationship capital, meaning over money, flexibility, catering to individual clients more easily, and their unique voice.

My questions back to open up some possibilities:

What about asking your current clients for some referrals for you to get into relationship with?

And, what about a small, thoughtful gift that may not be as flashy but more meaningful?

Or, is there something you can do to make the process of hiring you easier and stress-free for them when compared to your competition?

How can you package your thought leadership or knowledge to make it valuable and to stand out from the competition’s more generic education offerings?